


Accidental Voyeurism is a Legitimate Use of Mutation

by Square_Pancake



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:40:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4692416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Square_Pancake/pseuds/Square_Pancake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik's habit of passively cataloguing the metal around him gives him unexpected insight into his new neighbor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Erik

It was a steel dildo.  A surprisingly large one.  Erik didn’t need to open the box to be sure, the shape was rather distinctive, and the complete lack of decoration or internal mechanisms suggested a very limited number of things it could be.

Still, a dildo.

Erik certainly hadn’t ordered it, yet there was a plain brown box set right in front of his apartment door.   He supposed he should be vaguely glad that the package was large enough that it was delivered here and not to the centralized mailroom that served this part of campus.

 _‘I wonder if this is some sort of weird Russian insult_ ’, Erik mused.  Azazel had been among those of his past partners that didn’t take Erik’s preferences gracefully.  Really, his tastes in the bedroom had done more to prevent Erik from seeking out a lasting relationship than even his profound dislike of most people.

It wasn’t that Erik didn’t want a stable relationship.  If nothing else he’d like to have someone to split rent with while enjoying regular sex.  It was just that the alphas Erik had met, dated, and eventually bedded had balked when Erik mentioned that outside his heats, he really didn’t enjoy bottoming.

And it wasn’t that Erik had any emotional or psychological objections to being penetrated.  The problem was that even with all the prep a very patient lover could offer, prostate stimulation was at best uncomfortable and at worst overwhelming in a negative way.  

So Erik was happy to top, but for some reason the male alphas he had met seemed to have major hang-ups over the issue.  Even while professing to believing in complete equality between alphas and omegas, each new partner seemed to be convinced that he would be the one that magically opened Erik’s eyes to the pleasure of bottoming while simultaneously expressing unease over being penetrated.

It was absurd.  But Erik had tried compromise.  He was happy with mutual blow jobs, hand jobs, and the occasional penetration, but would rather rule anal sex out as the main event most nights unless his partner wanted to bottom.  A few had even enjoyed bottoming, but always with a furtive sense of engaging in a taboo act instead of simply a physical pleasure.

So eventually, each of them had pushed for more sex, as though Erik could be pressured into enjoying it.  

He probably would have still broken up with all of them eventually, but sexual incompatibility didn’t help.

At first he had blamed the alphas; their inability to be satisfied with orgasms from a mouth, hand or thighs was an issue they should deal with, not Erik’s fault.

But as he spent more time dating as an adult, Erik began to wonder if his tastes were so eclectic as to be untenable.  

So he had been flexible.  He had dated a couple alpha females only to find that no matter how hard he tried, he just wasn’t attracted to the female form.

He tried dating a few fellow male omegas.  Actually, when he first hit upon the idea he was shocked it had taken so long.  After all, most omegas enjoyed, or at least professed to enjoy, penetration,  so they’d be perfectly happy to have Erik topping.

Dating had been exactly as mediocre as it always had been, but had continued until Erik fell into bed with a very attractive blond omega. Steve had been gorgeous, hard-bodied and broad shouldered with an innocent expression that Erik wanted to thoroughly despoil.

The sex had been awful.  

Steve didn’t say anything, but Erik had known it was the first time trying sex with a fellow omega for both of them.  For all that Erik had thought his attraction was mostly based on visuals, the scent of another omega was simply not as enticing as that of even the least attractive alpha Erik had ever been with.  Steve had clearly come to the same conclusion, and they quietly agreed to chalk it up to a failed experiment and went their separate ways.

After that Erik had picked up a few one-night stands who weren’t expecting anything more than a blowjob, but he didn’t try to seek out another alpha for a long-term relationship.  

Honestly, he was glad he had made that decision before his neighbor had moved in.  The handsome telepath was not the physical ideal of an alpha, his features were too soft and he was shorter than Erik.  Not to mention the terrible flaw of having a lush ass that Erik had spent far too much time thinking about, but with his new awareness of how much scent influenced his arousal, Charles Xavier and his spicy-sweet scent were seemingly designed to torment Erik.

Charles had introduced himself a few days after he had moved in.  Hearing the brisk knocking at the door, Erik had answered more out of curiosity than a desire to talk to anyone.

“Hello, I’m Charles Xavier, I’m your new next door neighbor,” Charles had accompanied his introduction with a brilliant smile that Erik refrained from mirroring.  “Anyway, as the only unbound omega in the building, I wanted to give you the option to have me leave the building before your heat hits.”

A raised eyebrow was Erik’s only response.  As a method of picking up omegas, Charles’s setup could use some work.  It was only marginally better than offering to help a stranger through their heat as a “neighborly duty.”  And that was only because it would take a few more sentences until he got to the offer, Erik was sure.

Clearly sensing Erik’s disdain, the other man hurried on.  “I’m a telepath.  And I’ve been told that being exposed to telepathy during an unpartnered heat is rather…”  

Charles trailed off, but Erik could read between the lines.  The sense of desperation and mania that struck during heats was the last thing he wanted to share with a stranger, no matter how friendly he seemed.  The sheer level of unintended exposure made Erik;s skin crawl at the thought.

Either reading the reaction from his thoughts or expressions, Charles nodded.  “The university has temporary housing that I’ll avail myself of, and if you give me a bit of warning, I’ll be out of the way before it becomes detectable.  I’ve been told that most omegas would prefer that.”

A frown crossed his face as he added, “if it makes you uncomfortable, the university may be able to find other faculty housing for me.”

Erik snorted in disbelief.  The housing subsidized by the university was extremely limited, especially for mutants.  He had trouble believing that there were any other options available for a telepath, especially one without a mate.

Erik’s first words to Charles wound up being, “I’ll let you know in advance.”  He then firmly shut the door and went back to his reading, doing his best to forget how enticing the other man smelled.

As his biannual heat grew closer, Erik found himself watching Charles more than he should.  He had already admitted to himself that the alpha was attractive to his base instincts without drawing in his other senses.  There was no excuse for wanting anything more.  Erik had already been down that route.  

So he watched, and appreciated, and made note of the exact contours of Charles’s ass and the dexterity of his hands as he juggled his books while unlocking his door.

But Erik didn’t do anything else, let alone express any interest.

A week before his heat, Erik left Charles a vaguely worded note that saw the man vacating the building a day before Erik locked himself into his apartment.

As heats went, Erik had had worse.  Frankly it had never been the frenzy of sexual energy so many teen movies and tawdry romances suggested.  For Erik it was a balancing act between various sources of discomfort until it passed and he could just get on with his life.  This one was no different.

So, a week after his heat, when Erik came home to a steel dildo in front of his door he was rather nonplussed.

If a past lover had sent it as either a gift to see him through his heat or an insult given his proclivities, the timing was a bit weird.  

Just as he was about to scoop it up and check if there was a note attached to the box, Charles ducked his head out into the hall.

“Erik, I was expecting a delivery and the tracking website said it was delivered, but it wasn’t in the mailroom or at my door.”  

Surprised, Erik nodded towards the deceptively innocent box in front of his door.

“Oh, that should be it!” Charles exclaimed happily.

Erik desperately wanted to ask what exactly the other man needed a steel dildo for, but refrained.  Though the telepath was aware Erik was a metellokinetic, he probably was not aware how refined Erik’s senses were.  As far as Charles was concerned, the contents of his package were as opaque as the discreet brown wrapping.

Besides, although Erik had never seen Charles with anyone, he presumably had an omega partner with specific tastes.

Over the next few weeks, Erik was uncomfortably aware of his neighbor.  Although he couldn’t pick an individual out of a crowd, the cloud of metallic ions in a human’s blood made detecting other people less of an effort and more of a passive sense.  In spite of Erik’s speculation, Charles remained alone in his apartment.  

Although he’d be ashamed to admit it, Erik was happy that the steel dildo remained in the same place as well.  He knew that seeking out the shape of his neighbor’s sex toy was more than a bit creepy, but it seemed to attract his attention more than any plain object had any right to.

And since it wasn’t being used, Erik reassured himself that it wasn’t any different than sensing silverware in a kitchen or rebar in a wall; it was just the natural background noise that any metallokinetic would pick up on.

In spite of himself, Erik was drawn into more and more conversations with Xavier over the next few weeks.  The man had interesting insight into the various levels of  classification for mutant ability and how mutant powers were perceived not only by humans, but other mutants as well.

“And I have to wonder if that’s why so many psionics manifest secondary mutations.  At least part of the manifestation of mutant ability is directed by our desires- it’s why emotional outbursts often trigger powers- and psionics can often feel how other people might react.  So many of them develop physically defensive abilities- perhaps the genome trying to protect itself,” Charles had mused one day when they had bumped into each other on campus and wound up drinking coffee together at a local cafe.

Charles was brilliantly attractive when he explained his interests, Erik had to concede, but he firmly shut down the telepath’s attempts to ask him out.  Coffee with a neighbor was fine.  Dates with an alpha as attractive as Charles led only to disappointment and heartbreak. Charles asked him out only twice, once to drinks and once to dinner with the addendum that he wasn’t sure if Erik drank.  After Erik refused, he told himself he wasn’t disappointed that the telepath politely accepted the refusal while continuing their casual friendship.

He was grateful, however, that Charles never mentioned his own dating habits or romantic entanglements, though Erik was sure he found more than enough attention when he went out.

* * *

Erik had had a particularly trying day.  As a materials engineer and a mutant, he was uniquely qualified to assist in esoteric research projects.  And he was well known enough in his field that other mutants joined the program based on Erik’s presence. His tenure had been almost a guarantee with his ability to bring in research grants not only from the government, but also from private industrial interests trying to nurture the unique talents appearing in more and more mutants as a commercial boon.

Generally that wasn’t a huge problem.  Most corporate executives were cowards who were perfectly willing to profit off mutants while keeping a careful distance.  Erik only conducted negotiations in person, which limited both the duration and frequency of such meetings.

Except with Tony Stark.  Stark apparently was immune to Erik’s ill temper, sharp smiles and general dislike.  

Today’s meeting had been no different.  Stark had gone on at length about a new solar array that his company was working on and asked after various graduate students as potential interns or future employees.  Erik in turn had remained concise and provided enough information to benefit his students.  

Rather than end it there, Stark had started asking about Erik’s future plans.  The man had kept it just the right side of professional since Erik was a legitimately attractive employment prospect for any engineering firm, but the tone had been a lot more insinuating than Erik felt comfortable with.  It was as though the rambunctious CEO was trying to ferret out personal information under a veneer of professional interest.

No one else would have dared pursue the topic after Erik snarled his first “I’m not interested.”  Somehow Stark had persisted until he had gotten out that Erik would not be moving into private industry, no not even to follow a mate which he didn’t have, and so on and so forth.

So Erik really wasn’t in the mood for anything to upset his routine when he finally extracted himself from the meeting and headed home.

Naturally, that meant that his usual pattern of sensing various people followed by pinpointing and cataloging specific pieces of metals hit a snag just as he waved his door open.

The dildo was not in its usual place. Without a second thought Erik threw his senses into the neighboring apartment.  The elevated warmth and movement of a metal object was more than enough to attract his attention.

When Erik realized that he had sensed the dildo mid-use, he violently pulled his power back in, dashed into his apartment, filled a cup of water and started heating it in the microwave.  Concentrating on the dulling sensations of the electricity moving through the kitchen implement helped fuzz out any other extraneous sensations.

By the time the microwave dinged, Erik had managed to calm his embarrassment and resolved not to seek out that particular piece of metal in the future.  Surely there were other pieces he could use as part of his meditative cataloguing of the objects around him.

Sinking his awareness into the metal frame of his own bed, Erik determinately spent the evening pulling apart and reshaping the decorative elements until he fell asleep.

In spite of his best efforts, Erik’s routine was difficult to alter. So when he came home the next day his power spread out in the same manner it usually did.  To his relief the dildo was in its normal location, and Charles was absent from the apartment.

Erik ignored the tendril of jealous discontent at the idea that Xavier was probably off with whomever he had used the sex toy on yesterday.

It was another week before the dildo was again in a new location, and based on its temperature, in enthusiastic use.  This time Erik spent the evening reshaping the steel balls in his Newton’s Cradle into absolutely perfect spheres down to the last molecule.

The third time Erik inadvertently listened in on his neighbor’s sexual escapades, he realized the other man was alone.  The realization literally had Erik dropping his briefcase in surprise.  The sudden bolt of dismay at the probable damage to his laptop was probably the only thing that kept Erik from broadcasting his lust broadly enough for his telepathic neighbor to hear.

Because while he didn’t want to make too many assumptions, if Charles was alone in his apartment, he was using the dildo on himself.


	2. Charles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles learned a long time ago that most people wanted all kinds of sex, not just what they happened to be getting. It made him unwilling to settle for less than what he wanted.

Charles Xavier enjoyed sex. **  
**

Of course, as an alpha, he was supposed to enjoy sex, but only a specific kind of sex.  He was supposed to enjoy being in control, dominating, and fucking any omega that caught his fancy.

And perhaps if he weren’t a telepath, Charles would have grown up believing that he was alone in his desires, and that he should allow societal expectations to dictate his behavior and relationships.  But Charles had seen far too much hypocrisy and suppressed desire in other people to think that he was anything out of the ordinary.

Charles knew that, biologically speaking, many men physically enjoyed prostate stimulation as either an addition to or substitute for penetrative sex.  So when exploring his own preferences, Charles had not held back out of a belief that alphas could only enjoy sex while being in control of penetration.  He swiftly determined that his tastes were a bit broader than high school sex education had suggested.

Certainly not all alphas enjoyed what he did, but enough did that he had never hesitated to let his partner know that he was very much in favor of being fucked.  His male partners were generally happy to at least experiment in topping, and his female partners, while occasionally hesitant, usually warmed up to the occasional foray into pegging.  It wasn’t the entirety of his sex life, but the older he got, the more Charles considered it a necessary facet.

While not precisely a hedonist, Charles did tend to revel in any form of physical pleasure as a way to anchor himself; a partner just increased the efficacy and enjoyment. All things considered, Charles considered his sex life rather physically fulfilling.   Which he needed given how much of the rest of his life was cerebral. 

Sadly, his romantic life had been less successful.  He had plenty of friends, both those who wanted him in their beds and those who didn’t.  He had even kept more than one omega company through their heat.  But there was nothing that had lasted.

Charles had fallen in lust more times than he could count, and when convenient had indulged himself and his partner or partners. (Charles credited his soft features and enjoyment of bottoming as the reasons he was considered fairly non-threatening and had enjoyed more threesomes with established couples than most people could dream).  

But Charles had also fallen in love three times.

Lilandra had been wonderful.  A fellow psionic, she embraced all aspects of Charles’s gifts.  But her interest in sex was minimal.  Although she could enjoy the physical act, her libido rarely made an appearance. When it did, the sex was phenomenal.  Charles had never experienced being wrapped up in another person’s mind and body simultaneously without sensing some degree of trepidation from his partner. Lilandra had been all pleasure and ecstasy without a single shadow.

Unfortunately, even if they had worked through their fundamentally different levels of sexual interest, Charles’s relationship with Lilandra was doomed to fail.  A female alpha, Lilandra had accepted that she would marry an omega and produce children to continue her bloodline.  Charles, for all that she loved him, did not qualify.

Their separation when Charles left for graduate school was bittersweet, but both prefered the fiction that it was school that was separating them, and that under other circumstances they would have stayed together.  

While developing treatments for PTSD during his first year as a graduate student, Charles met Amelia and fell hard and fast.  Amelia had been both fun and compatible, but her commitment to nursing in refugee camps kept their relationship casual.  Certainly Charles never objected to seeing her when she was in the same city, but neither tried for anything more.  Ironically, it took the longest to get over Amelia, even though they had never had a real relationship.  

It wasn’t until nearly the end of graduate school that Charles met the man he thought he’d stay with the rest of his life.  A fellow mutant, En Sabah had such a variety of abilities and a true wonder for the world around him.  His grey skin was unusually sensitive to touch, and Charles lost himself in their physical union.  So preoccupied with their sex life and the demands of his graduate program, he didn’t see their end until it was upon them.

En Sabah had been, well, not a mistake, but perhaps a lesson.  While Charles had embraced all forms of physical pleasure, En Sabah had grown increasingly conflicted over the course of their relationship.  

It started with En Sabah pulling away from sexual activities he had previously enjoyed.  Given that his own tastes could fluctuate, Charles merely shrugged and accepted whatever limits the other man felt necessary.  But when he suggested that Charles was telepathically manipulating him to enjoy their sex, Charles had walked away.  

Had he been younger, Charles knew he would have tried to stay with En Sabah, tried to convince the younger omega that their relationship was real and he had never used his telepathy to alter his partner's tastes, but with his PhD in hand and new opportunities far away, Charles had too much pride to placate the other man.

So when Charles moved in next to Erik Lehnsherr, he did so with no romantic entanglements and an expansive contacts list of casual partners, some of whom had been thrilled to find out about his breakup with En Sabah, though none had been crass enough to admit it.  Just because he was leaving behind the man he thought he had a future with, didn’t mean Charles had to leave behind everyone else.  It was a shame that distance from his previous school meant that few of his past partners would be available for casual fun.

The lack of company was not noticeable immediately, but the knowledge had lingered in Charles's mind as he met new colleagues and neighbors. Which is probably why Erik Lehnsherr had made such a strong impression on him.  

Erik had certainly appealed to Charles physically, though it was hard to imagine anyone who couldn’t appreciate the other man’s appearance.  But settling into a teaching position and new research left little enough time for Charles to meet up with older partners, let alone cultivate new ones no matter how attractive.

Really, it wasn’t until several months into his new position that Charles even noticed that one of his favorite toys was missing,  While not something he used every day, when Charles was alone he tended to need something a bit more to bring himself off.  With an adulthood that included enthusiastic sex partners who willingly shared their pleasure, Charles knew he had grown a bit too accustomed to other people’s appetites in bed supporting his own gratification.

While a large steel dildo wasn’t _required_ , it certainly helped on those days when Charles particularly needed a push.

After ordering a replacement but not making use of it immediately, Charles was forced to admit that it wasn’t just the physical stimulation he missed.  The lack of his favorite sex toy was not the missing element.

For all that it had ended so poorly, En Sabah had been a compelling and passionate partner.

Charles knew he had mentally planned a life that included a husband, and the lack of a regular partner who was both physically and emotionally committed was painful.

With that in mind, Charles began seriously considering inviting another person into his bed.  A relationship would be ideal, but a regular sex partner would be enough to curb Charles's loneliness he decided.  Looking close to home was a natural choice.

Erik had yet to say anything explicitly, but Charles would have had to be a far weaker telepath to have missed the spark of attraction from the omega. Their first interactions had been curt, but never outright rude, which Charles had learned was something of a rarity for Erik.

So, after checking Erik’s posted class schedule, Charles arranged to run into the omega on neutral territory.

“Hello, Erik!” Charles did his best to keep his tone friendly but not overly enthused.

The other man responded with a simple, “Charles,” and head nod.  But to his pleasure, Erik’s mind, already relaxed, warmed more when he saw the telepath.

At their first meeting outside the apartment building, Charles didn’t try to buy Erik a drink or even flirt.  After all, their interactions had been fairly limited and it was entirely possible that Erik’s fractally beautiful mind and equally attractive body were accompanied by a personality that would be impossible to live with.

Fortunately, by the third meeting, Erik’s attempt at a polite veneer had cracked somewhat as he snarled, “so, you’re saying that what, mutants have an obligation to use their abilities to help other people?  That they should be the servants of the masses?”

“No, of course not!  I’m saying that people, all people including humans, should cultivate their talents in ways that benefit society,” replied Charles.

Erik snorted, “again, to benefit other people.  Your expectation of altruism is shortsighted and foolish at best.  Dangerous at worst- it wasn’t so long ago that people were suggesting that mutants be forcefully drafted into the military.”

Charles couldn’t suppress a smile at the passion in Erik’s voice.  “You’re willfully misunderstanding my position.  People should be encouraged to find ways to embrace their abilities that don’t set them at odds with the rest of the world.  A pyrokinetic doesn’t have to be a firefighter, but if they want to survive, they cannot become an arsonist either.  And if they want to use their abilities professionally, they have to find a way to do that, they cannot expect the job market to have ready-made positions for them.”

At that, Erik sat back in considering silence.  He finally voiced, “I still think the focus on benefit to society over the individual is bad for mutant development.”

The sudden ringing of the campus belltower interrupted their discussion, and Charles checked his phone with a curse.  

“I need to run to make it to my next seminar.  I’d love to continue this discussion later, perhaps over drinks?”

Without blinking, Erik shook his head in refusal and simply answered, “anything I have to contribute can wait until the next time we run into each other on campus."

Disappointed, a week later Charles tried asking one more time in case Erik had gotten the idea that his interest was purely academic, or in case Erik didn’t care for drinking.  When the omega just as swiftly refused the second invitation, Charles backburnered his romantic interest in the handsome omega and focused on winning their current debate- over whether secondary mutations should be studied as a separate phenomenon from primary mutant powers.

With few other prospects in sight, Charles’s mind returned again to the yet-unused new dildo that currently sat on the bookshelf next to his bed.  Charles was certainly old enough to take care of his own needs, even if he had hoped for a partner.

The first time Charles used his new toy, he made a point of making sure there were no other people around.  It was a bit larger than his last one (Charles had to admit that his memories of the previous toy’s dimensions had perhaps been exaggerated by time), and he wasn’t entirely sure he could keep a complete grip on his abilities the first time using it.

The last thing he wanted to do was psionically assault Erik with lust after he had been turned down for a date.  

The second time, Charles wasn’t nearly so careful, and by the time he had finished and was massaging his arm where it had cramped slightly from the awkward angle required to bring himself off, he realized that the mental humming was actually Erik’s mind deliberately focusing on his powers on a molecular scale.

Fascinated by the discovery of what appeared to be a form of meditation, Charles resolved to ask the other man about it at a later date.

Of course, that intention was swiftly lost in his post-orgasmic haze.

The second time Charles felt Erik’s mind focus so intently on his powers, Charles was once again in the aftershocks of a particularly fantastic orgasm and was in no mental state to make plans.

When Charles finally remembered to raise the issue with Erik, he had to admit that he was surprised by the response.

“Oh, the intense focus on molecular aspects of my power certainly serves as a form of meditation.  I’ve never seen anyone else do the same, but I’d love to discuss it with you over drinks.”


	3. Telepaths are not the only mutants who can violate privacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions of mutations are probably foreplay for both of them

While thrilled to accept Erik’s invitation, Charles wondered exactly what had changed in the past few weeks.  He had asked Erik out casually for drinks, been shot down, asked him out again to dinner with more formality and been turned down again.  Everything since then had been platonic, and Charles had made sure to firmly shield his own interest and block out the faint spikes of attraction Erik unwittingly released at their meetings.

 

As far as Charles could tell, nothing of note had precipitated Erik’s sudden desire to pursue their mutual attraction.  Charles was fairly sure that the other mutant wasn’t someone who became interested in someone else only once it was clear they were out of reach; he had gracefully accepted their slightly antagonistic friendship without providing any overt mixed signals.  

 

Until now.  

 

Still, as Charles led Erik to his favorite pub, he was happy at the change, if a little befuddled.  He wondered if Erik would explain it- though only after he got some insight into that meditative state he had sensed the other night.

 

As they settled into a quiet corner and ordered their drinks, Charles immediately pursued the line of inquiry that led to this unexpected, though welcome date.  “So molecular meditation? I’ve only encountered one other mutant with that degree of fine control, and Jean’s was sporadic.”

 

Erik seemed to hesitate, then said, “well most telekinetics work on a macro scale, not an atomic one.  My mutation is actually centered around the manipulation of magnetic fields, so fine control wound up being a necessity if I wanted to live in a modern society.”

 

“So no temptation to join the Amish?”

 

Erik smirked, “well, I’m Jewish, but I certainly never had any urge to give up computers even if I were Christian.  So it was adapt to survive, because if I interfered with electromagnetic waves on a macro scale, I’d probably have accidentally offed myself or someone else.”

 

“Fascinating,” Charles breathed.  He desperately wanted to reach out and touch Erik’s mind to get a sense for how he saw the world, but he refrained.  The point of this dinner, of this date, was to talk, to get to know each other and sadly long experience had shown Charles that on a personal level, telepathic shortcuts led to more confusion than resolution.  Well, except during sex.  Telepathic shortcuts in sex were amazing.

 

Charles shook himself free from his rather inappropriate imaginings of how Erik might use his mutation during sex to find the man looking at him somewhat bemused.  

 

“Back with me?”

 

Hoping that he was imagining the faint displeasure in Erik’s voice, Charles smiled sheepishly, “sorry, my mind wandered off on a tangent about how many uses your power must have." Erik looked pleased that at least Charles's thoughts were about him.  Charles asked,  "so do you constantly sense electromagnetic waves around you? That must be exhausting.”

 

For a moment Erik hesitated.  If Charles were not so invested in trying to understand his reactions without intrusive telepathy he’d have missed it.  

 

“Well, although my particular mutation is the manipulation of EM, there is a reason why I’ve been referred to as metalokenetic.  I have to focus to, well, see is the wrong word.  Sense? Maybe understand is the better term, EM fields.”  Erik frowned, “there really isn’t a good way to explain it.  It’s cliche, but how do you explain color to a blind man?”

 

Once again Charles refrained from offering the obvious suggestion that as a telepath, he was uniquely capable of understanding Erik’s senses and how he used them.  Thus far Erik had not demonstrated any distaste towards his mutation and Charles would rather avoid that. He’d rather a romantic rejection not be predicated on his curiosity; few people were comfortable with telepaths, and those who were generally did not want telepaths to enter their minds in order to understand something as intimate as how they saw the world.  Many mutants in particular were both proprietary and private about their abilities.

 

But he was still curious, so Charles prompted, “so you don’t sense EM, electromagnetism?” at Erik’s nod, Charles continued, “constantly, but based on your phrasing, you do sense something else.  Metals?”

 

Erik grinned toothily, “right in one professor.  I imagine it’s because EM would be too overwhelming, but if mutations are there to help us survive, sensing metal, particularly ferrous metals, would be useful.”

 

Charles nodded his agreement. “Yes I could see that.  For most psionics it’s similar- hearing everyone’s minds constantly would drive one insane, but sensing other people are out there is useful.”

 

They paused as their drinks arrived.  During graduate school before he met En Sabah, Charles had skirted uncomfortably close to the alcoholism that claimed his mother, and rarely indulged these days.  He rather hoped that Erik wasn’t much of a drinker either, but said nothing as he took a sip from his lager.  He'd like to take Erik to bed, but that would only happen if they were both sober.

 

Erik took up the thread of conversation, but he was more hesitant this time. “I suppose it’s similar.  You, telepaths I mean, you get a sense for minds and which are familiar and which are strangers, right?”

 

Charles nodded, “yes, it’s pretty much automatic to categorize people that way. Though familiar doesn’t necessarily mean safer, so it’s not a passive danger sense or anything.”

 

“But I mean, once minds become familiar, you probably automatically seek them out.”

 

“Erik,” Charles began slowly, “if you’re worried, I don’t violate people’s privacy that way just because they’ve become familiar to me.”

 

Erik blushed, which Charles found surprisingly charming in the intractable man. “That’s not what I was implying.  I’m just trying to explain my own interactions with metal on a macro scale.  There are pieces that resonate and signify ‘home,’ or ‘work,’ and sometimes if a person is fond of a piece of jewelry or has surgical pins they signify individuals.” By this point Erik was looking down at the table while his fingers slowly traced the wood grain.

 

Charles was uncertain what was making Erik was so uncomfortable in this discussion.  For a moment he considered changing the subject, but Erik continued on before he could think of a new topic.

 

“So I become familiar with certain pieces of metal, it’s part of how I orient myself.”

 

There was a beat of silence.  Charles hesitantly said, “I’m not sure I understand how that relates to your meditation Erik.”

 

“Do you ever see something you shouldn’t? Telepathically I mean?” asked Erik, finally making eye contact again.

 

Caught slightly off-guard, Charles admitted, “more when I was younger.  These days I sometimes get spikes of emotions that people are otherwise very good at hiding, and sometimes moments of vivid imagery.”

 

Erik nodded as though Charles was confirming his suspicions.  “Well sometimes metal does the same thing.”  Seeing Charles frown, Erik hurried on, “like sensing medical equipment- people don’t like others to know that they need back braces or have had surgery, but sometimes I pick up on those things.  And sometimes I get the sense of how metal objects are being used.”  

 

The last sentence was quiet, but Charles couldn’t think of any reason for Erik’s embarrassment.  Charles decided to redirect the conversation.  “So by focusing on the molecular level you manage to block things out?”

 

Erik’s emotions tilted between relieved and disappointed at the shift, but he readily acknowledged, “yes.  It lets me block out all the extraneous information.”

 

Charles hummed thoughtfully.  He considered offering up his own experiences.  But telling Erik that focusing on his partner during sex had a similarly shielding effect was probably not the most subtle of suggestions.

 

“That’s a useful coping mechanism to cultivate,” Charles admitted.  "It can be done anywhere and probably refines your power even as it protects you."

 

Their conversation splintered off into how to build meditative exercises for fellow mutants without the suggestions being taken as a way to force abilities to behave in specific ways.  Charles filed Erik’s ability to sense items as small as surgical screws in the back of his mind.

 

Charles was pleased that Erik switched to club soda when he did; though he hoped for Erik's sake it was out of a desire to be sober for anything that happened later rather than because the omega feared alcoholism as Charles did.

 

By the time they were ready to leave, Erik had been keeping his right hand on Charles’s forearm; he shifted slightly as they stood to keep contact.  Charles tried not to inhale the mixture of their scents too obviously, but he was hyper conscious of just how wonderfully the mingling pheromones lingered between them. 

 

So it wasn’t a surprise that when they made it back to their apartments, Erik was already leaning to kiss him as Charles tilted his head for the same.  One of Erik’s hands slid downwards and pulled Charles firmly against the front of his body.  Charles bit back a moan at the aggressive manhandling.  He rather hoped this meant that Erik wouldn’t have to be eased into topping.  After weeks of his own hand and steel dildo, Charles really wanted to be fucked.

 

Which is part of why the image that popped into his head of said sex toy didn’t startle him.

 

At first. After all, the toy was intimately familiar to Charles, so it showing up as he thought about being fucked wasn’t that unusual.

 

Then he realized that he wasn’t visualizing the toy.  He was catching a second-hand sensation of how the toy felt in someone else’s mind.

 

Charles abruptly saw Erik’s hesitant concerns over privacy in a new light.  He pulled back and thought about asking Erik for an explanation.  

 

Instead he said, “I want you to fuck me.”  Which really wasn’t the same thing at all.

 

Erik immediate reaction of opening the door with his powers and pulling Charles into his apartment indicated that he was on board even without the surge of lust that flooded into Charles’s mind.

  
They could discuss Erik’s accidental voyeurism later.  After all, if sensing Charles using a metal dildo got Erik on a date with him, he couldn’t wait to see what Erik would do after seeing Charles use it in person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A number of people requested another chapter. I hope this meets with expectations. I am open to continuing if there are specific scenes people want to see.
> 
> I wrote this and am posting it without beta'ing, so I will probably be cleaning up grammar in the next day or so.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr. I am considering a third chapter, but I'm still ambivalent over my ability to write smut, and let's face it, that's where this is going.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cover for Accidental Voyeurism](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12991092) by [ayaskam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayaskam/pseuds/ayaskam)




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